Pregnant with the Alpha Best Actress's Child - Chapter 16

Jiang Mengzhi was a woman of her word. That same evening, she sent over a portion of the script along with the specific scenes to be performed for the assessment, instructing Sang Zhijiu to prepare.

The following day, under the watchful eyes of her two mothers and after completing a series of checkups by foreign experts, Sang Zhijiu returned to her hotel to dive into the script.

“Did I not do all these tests at the hospital already?” she grumbled to Lin Jiahe. “It didn’t feel any different.”

“Just think of it as buying peace of mind for your aunts,” Lin Jiahe consoled her. “As long as it makes them feel secure, it’s worth it.”

Sang Zhijiu found that reasonable and nodded in agreement.

Lin Jiahe picked up her bag. “Don’t get distracted. I’ll keep an eye on the reports and your mothers. You just focus on the script these next few days. Oh, by the way, I’ve contacted the company’s acting coaches and scheduled two sessions for you. Akang will drive you there when it’s time.”

“Understood,” Sang Zhijiu replied. “Jiahe, thank you for your hard work.”

“No need for that,” Lin Jiahe waved her off. “I’m heading out now.”

Once her manager left, Sang Zhijiu refocused on the script.

The project was titled More Than Love. It followed Chen Yue, a quintessential “good girl” Omega, who encounters Mu Yining, a wild and expressive Alpha band lead. Chen Yue is instantly captivated by Mu Yining’s uninhibited lifestyle—something she’s never seen in her twenty years. She begins skipping classes, frequenting underground bars, and trailing after Mu Yining with her violin, desperate to join her world.

Mu Yining, however, sees through her early on. She realizes Chen Yue isn’t in love with her, but rather with the idea of her lifestyle. Disliking this naive “goody-two-shoes,” Mu Yining initially pretends to agree, intending to show Chen Yue the harshness of the world to scare her back to her ivory tower. To her surprise, Chen Yue endures it all. Mu Yining begins to regret her decision, trying even harder to push the girl away.

Their struggle weaves into a complex emotion, ending on an ambiguous note as they lean against each other in the sunset.

The characters were rich, and the details were moving. If the director and actors could truly capture that sense of struggle against fate, this film had a real shot at winning awards!

Sang Zhijiu felt a surge of confidence—this script was far superior to the one Director Guan had offered her.

“Wait a minute…” Sang Zhijiu suddenly realized the gravity of the situation. She bit her lip and began pacing the room. “If I actually get the role… I’ll have to play lovers with Fan Wu?!”

On one hand, she’d have to act as a couple with someone she loathed; on the other, her entire future career was at stake. Sang Zhijiu didn’t hesitate for long.

“I’ll just treat it as a trial. Everyone has to bow their head when standing under someone else’s roof. Besides… it’s not like I’m guaranteed to win the part yet.”

She propped her chin on her hand, trying to find the “feeling.” In a way, her life mirrored Chen Yue’s. She had been the “golden child” her whole life—the only difference being her slight “little princess” temper. She was supposed to graduate and manage her family’s hotel chain, but a scout had turned her into an actress. That detour helped her find what she truly wanted, leading to her standoff with her mothers.

As for the romance… back when she was young and naive, she did technically idolize that beast Fan Wu. That feeling probably wasn’t too far off from Chen Yue’s admiration for Mu Yining.

With that thought, Sang Zhijiu felt ready.

As she studied, the results from the foreign experts came in. Yue Shuyi breathed a sigh of relief when the report mirrored the domestic one—Sang Zhijiu was physically and mentally fine. She and Sang Xiaqing quickly packed their bags to leave.

Sang Zhijiu went to the airport to see them off.

Yue Shuyi tucked a stray hair behind Sang Zhijiu’s ear, her voice uncharacteristically soft. “Mommy and I will wait for you at home. When you come back next year, the office we saved for you at the hotel will be finished. Jiahe is a good girl, too; if she wants, tell her to come work there with you.”

“No need, Mother,” Sang Zhijiu pouted. “If I come to see you, I’ll just book a room at the hotel. I’ll be coming back after a few days anyway.”

Yue Shuyi shot her an annoyed look, and the two—equally stubborn—fell silent.

After a while, Sang Xiaqing and Akang returned from checking the luggage. Sang Xiaqing had beads of sweat on her forehead.

“Why are you so tired?” Sang Zhijiu asked, handing her a tissue.

“The luggage was quite heavy,” Sang Xiaqing panted. “Luckily your little assistant helped.”

“Did you bring that much stuff?”

Yue Shuyi didn’t miss a beat. “We didn’t bring much, but those things you gave us especially those heavy books—take up so much space.”

The books were actually the “gifts” Fan Wu had picked out for Fan Yu—deluxe hardcover editions. Of course they were heavy!

At the mention of them, Sang Zhijiu’s face flushed—out of pure anger!

Unaware of her daughter’s irritation, Sang Xiaqing waved goodbye. “Alright, the plane is boarding. We’re off. Baby, thank Brother Fan Wu for those books for me.”

Thank him my foot!

Sang Zhijiu grumbled internally but maintained a sweet smile. “I will! Stay safe and message me when you get home.”

Once they were gone, Akang checked his watch. “Sister Zhijiu, the acting class Jiahe scheduled is starting soon. We should head to the company.”

Sang Zhijiu pulled up her mask. “Let’s go.”

Because they had left early to drop off her mothers, they arrived at the company before the coach. Sang Zhijiu stayed in the classroom for a few minutes, but the signal was weak. She wandered into the corridor to message Lin Jiahe.

By chance, as she passed a rehearsal room, she heard two familiar voices.

Seeing no one around, she peeked in. Sure enough, Fan Wu was inside talking to a newcomer.

The newcomer was Fu Xinyan—one of the three finalists and Sang Zhijiu’s biggest rival for the role.

Is Fan Wu… as the director and lead… secretly giving one of the candidates private tutoring?!

Sang Zhijiu’s chances were already slim; seeing this made her grit her teeth in frustration.

Fan Wu was sharp. She sensed the gaze from the doorway immediately.

She glanced over and recognized Sang Zhijiu. She told Fu Xinyan to study the script, used “getting some air” as an excuse to leave the room, and caught Sang Zhijiu just as she was trying to sneak away.

Fan Wu guessed her intent instantly. “You’re here for acting class too?”

“None of your business!” Sang Zhijiu gave a fake smile.

Fan Wu walked over, looking down at her. “It seems Teacher Sang takes this script very seriously. As the producer, I am honored.”

“You’re secretly coaching a candidate,” Sang Zhijiu hissed, unable to hold back. “That’s helping her cheat!”

“I happened to be free, and she took the initiative to ask for advice, so I gave her a few pointers,” Fan Wu explained smoothly. Then, she teased, “Actually, given the relationship between Teacher Sang and me, I’d be very happy to help Teacher Sang run lines if she only asked.”

“What relationship do we have?!” Sang Zhijiu practically exploded. She took two steps back. “Don’t… don’t think that just because of that accident the other night, I will submit to you!”

Fan Wu’s expression shifted. “Which night? What accident?”

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